Flashlight



July 30, 1963 J. sPEcK 3,099,402

FLASHLIGHT Filed March 14, 1961 /Nvefvrwe Jose/l- Speakl United States Patent O Existing ashlights comprising a built-in dynamo and a transmission gearing and which are operable by hand through a driving element, have the disadvantage that the bulb is lighted only as long as the dynamo is being operated. rllhey have the further disadvantage that the operators hand is much tired when the light is used for any extended period of time, and that the flashlight hardly can be held steady during actuation or the dynamo drive.

The ashlight `disclosed in my present invention, comprising .a built-in dynamo, substantially differs trom known pocket lights of this type in that the dynamo current serves not only for tteeding the bulb directly but also for charging at least one storage battery which in turn also is connected to the bulb for feeding same, and that the dynamo is driven by a wind-up spring motor via a transmission gearing, which motor is characterized by a relatively short wind-up period and a long run-oil time.

The flashlight disclosed herein is used, in contrast to known pocket lights of this type, a'fter having been wound up and has the advantage that during operation of the dynamo the storage battery is charged, and that after the spring motor has run off, openation lof the bul-b will still he maintained for an additional period of time by the battery.

One form of my invention is shown, by way of example, in the drawing, in which- FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the hashlight, and

FIG. 2 is a view of the light in which the .wind-up lever is illustrated in two positions.

The ashlight shown comprises a plastic case 1 to the r.front portion of which are detachahly secured the glass 3 and the reilector 4 with the replaceable bulb S by means of an end-cap 2.

Through the switch button 6 is actuated the contact spring 7 for turning the ylight on :and off. Of two seriesconnected `storage battery cells 8, 9 the upper one with its positive pole is connected to the centnal bulb pole through a contact spring 10, while the lower cell through its negative pole is connected to the switch contact spring 7 via a wire 11. Between the dynamo 12 and the two batteries S, 9 is disposed a rectiier 13 which in turn is connected to the positive pole of battery 8 through la wire 14 and to one of the wire ends of coil 16 of dynamo 12 through a wire 15. The other wire end of coil 16 is oonnected to switch contact spring 7 through a wire 15a. 17 is va U-shaped soft-iron core, and 18 is the dynamo rotor which carries a permanent magnet 18a. The rotor axle 19 is mounted in the 'housing 20 of a :gearing unit and in a rear disc 22 rigidly secured to housing 20 by two axle pins 21, yand said axle 19 is formed as pinion. The pins 21 are disposed diametrioally opposite each other with respect to -axle 19 and carry gears 23 which mesh with pinion 19. The gears 23 also mesh with the internal teeth of a cnplike gear 24 of which the axle 19a also is termed as pinion to mesh with gears `23a which in turn mesh with 3,099,402 Patented July 30, 1963 the internal teeth on a gear 24a of a second 20a which is similar to gearing unit 20.

To the axle 25 of rim gear 24a is anchored the inner end of a spiral spring 26 of which the outer end is engaged to a -drumlike driving wheel 27, and the hollow axle 28 ott the llatter is mounted on a shouldered portion of axle 25. To axle 2S is secured the inner end of a second spiral spring 26a of which the outer end is xed to a second drumlike driving wheel 27a. The axle 29 of the latter is mounted in a partition 30 inserted in the light case and on .a square portion the axle 29 carries a wind-up disc 31 which is formed as rear end-cap of case -1 [and is secured by a nut 32 screwed on to a shouldered threaded portion of axle 29,

The ends 35 of an elongate wind-up hoop lever 34, inwardly bent at right angles, are engaged in two diametrically opposite bores 33 of disc or end-cap 31. Lever 34 in its position of non-use hugs light case 1 and may be swung down to a position iat right angles to the flashlight axis for the purpose of Winding-up the spring motor. To the hub of wind-up disc 31 is secured a leaf spring 36 which serves as pawl or detent and of which the free end is engaged in ratchet means 37 provided as internal teeth `at the end of case 1, for the purpose of preventing the wind-up axle from turning back.

The 4spring motor in relation to its run-off period, requires only little time for winding up. To such end, lever 34 is swung .out and down into the position shown by dashand-dot lines in FIG. 2. The operator with one off his hands holds the flashlight, engages the forenger of his other hand in the lever hoop and turns same until the spring motor is tensed. The pawl-and-ratchet means 36, 37 prevent the wind-up means from turning back. The spring motor now drives the dynamo 12 which delivers its current on one hand to bulb 5 and, on the other hand, charges the storage lbattery. After the spring motor has run off or the dynamo has come to rest, t-he current of the storage battery still lights the bulb until the battery is exhausted.

What l claim as new Iand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An electric flashlight, having a tubular housing and an electric circuit including a dynamo member and a bulbi, comprising in combination, two storage means openable independently of eachother for storing energ one of said storage means including a spring motor in driving connection with said dynamo member, and oomprising at least two springs for long-time operation of the spring motor, two series-connected casings each housing one of said springs, winding means connected to said spring motor and including a rotor forming a rear cover yfor said housing and an elongated ll-oop element pivoted to said rotor and having a width at -least as large as the width of said housing and being tiltable between a winding position wherein it extends substantially radially of the =axis of the housing for manual rotation of :said rotor about said axis to wind said spring motor rapidly and, respectively, an inactive position wherein it engages throughout a portion of the loop the tubular surface of the housing, a gear train disposed axially symmetrically of the 1 yousing :and arranged between said spring motor and said dynamo member, the other storage means including a battery member interconnected in said electric circuit in parallel with said gearing unit dynamo member yand with uaid bulb, whereby said bulb may be fed from either member.

2. In an electric flashlight, as Claimed in claim 1, said gear train comprising two axles each including a gear having internal teeth, land two diametrically loppositely dis- V' posed planetary pinions meshlng with each gear `and belng o driven thereby.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 335,302

Pemuber Feb. 2, 1886 10 1'118564 Pendleton Sept. 28, 1897 Starkey Mar. 22, 1921 Holl et al July 22, 1924 Hopkins May 26, 1925 Lehman Dec. 6, 1949 Amlee Aug. 19, 1958 Fry M-ar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 7, 1956 

1. AN ELECTRIC FLASHLIGHT, HAVING A TUBULAR HOUSING AND AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING A DYNAMO MEMBER AND A BULB, COMPRISING A COMBINATION, TWO STORAGE MEANS OPERABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER FOR STORING ENERGY, ONE OF SAID STORAGE MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING MOTOR IN DRIVING CONNECTION WITH SAID DYNAMO MEMBER, AND COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SPRINGS FOR LONG-TIME OPERATION OF THE SPRING MOTOR, TWO SERIES-CONNECTED CASINGS EACH HOUSING ONE OF SAID SPRINGS, WINDING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SPRING MOTOR AND INCLUDING A ROTOR FORMING A REAR COVER FOR SAID HOUSING AND AN ELONGATED LOOP ELEMENT PIVOTED TO SAID ROTOR AND HAVING A WIDTH AT LEAST AS LARGE AS THE WIDTH OF SAID HOUSING AND BEING TILTABLE BETWEEN A WINDING POSITION WHEREIN IT EXTENDS SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OF THE AXIS OF THE HOUSING FOR MANUAL ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR ABOUT SAID AXIS TO WIND SAID SPRING MOTER RAPIDLY AND, RESPECTIVELY, AN INACTIVE POSITION WHEREIN IT ENGAGES THROUGHOUT A PORTION OF THE LOOP THE TUBULAR SURFACE OF THE HOUSING, A GEAR TRAIN DISPOSED AXIALLY SYMMETRICALLY OF THE HOUSING AND ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID SPRING MOTER AND SAID DYNAMO MEMBER, THE OTEHR STORAGE MEANS INCLUDING A BATTERY MEMBER INTERCONNECTED IN SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT IN PARALLEL WITH SAID DYNAMO MEMBER AND WITH SAID BULB, WHEREBY SAID BULB MAY BE FED FROM EITHER MEMBER. 